BMW New Plug In Hybrid Sports Car Concept

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BMW Adds Three-Seat Rear Bench Option for the X6

Starting from April 2011, BMW X6 customers will be able to specify the crossover model with a three-seat rear bench. Up until now, the X6 was offered exclusively with a four-seat layout. The extra accommodation is available for all X6 models with the exception of the X6 ActiveHybrid, and can also be ordered for the X6 M. Besides the third seat that replaces the previous storage unit between the two rear passengers, the five-seat model also gets new leather options.

BMW also announced that the new batch of X6 models will feature shift paddles on the steering wheel whose operating logic follows the principle familiar from the M cars: for manual shifting of the eight-speed Sport automatic transmission, the right paddle is used for upshifts and the left for downshifts.
Furthermore, both the BMW X5 and X6 can be ordered with new Y-spoke design 20-inch alloy wheels shod in 275/40 and 315/35 front and rear tires respectively, plus a Comfort Access system that illuminates the car’s surroundings, and an updated range of ConnectedDrive services. The latter includes the BMW Apps option, which means that iPhone users will be able to access Facebook, Twitter and international radio stations, regardless of the car’s location.

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BMW Production Version of All-Electric 1-Series

The ActiveE is the production version of BMW's 2010 Detroit Motor Show EV concept of the same name and it will share the limelight with the Vision CD Roadster study at the Bavarian firm's Geneva Salon stand. BMW plans to build a test fleet of more than 1,000 units of the fully electric version of the 1-Series Coupe, and lease them to select customers in the USA, Europe and China. The ActiveE will serve as a test bed for technologies that will be incorporated into the into BMW's future electric models such as the Megacity EV, due in 2013.

Power comes from an electric synchronous motor that produces 168HP (125 kW) and 250 Nm of torque, good enough to propel the 1 Series Coupe from standstill to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 9 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h). The electric motor draws power from three lithium-ion batteries, which replace the engine, transmission and fuel tank.
To increase the driving range, the electric motor also acts as a generator every time the driver takes his foot off the accelerator pedal. The recuperated kinetic energy is fed back into the batteries and the system also creates torque to slow down the car. BMW estimates that this way the autonomy can be extended by up to 20%.
Additionally, the ActiveE also has a “gliding mode”, in which the car is moved just by its own kinetic energy, and an Eco Pro mode that lowers the energy consumption of the heating and air conditioning system, while the accelerator uses less power with the same travel.
The EV can be charged in five hours using a 32-ampere wall box or overnight from a conventional household socket.
From a design standpoint, the ActiveE is set apart from its conventional counterparts by the electric circuit-inspired livery, a bonnet scoop and lack of tail pipes. Inside, the seats are covered in grey leather with contrasting blue stitching, accompanied by a revised instrument cluster.
According to the manufacturer, the four-seater ActiveE offers the same cabin space as a standard 1-Series Coupe, but has a reduced luggage space of 200-liters.

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BMW's Geneva Show Vision ConnectedDrive Roadster Concept Signals the Return of the Shark Nose

Truth to be said, we miss a lot of things from the BMW cars of the pre-Bangle era, but if we had to single one out, it would most likely be the characteristic and aggressive shark-nose of the old-school bimmers. However, BMW's new concept roadster model that was revealed today ahead of its world premiere at the Geneva Salon in March, may very well signal the return of one of the German firm's most characteristic styling traits.
The concept study is called the Vision ConnectedDrive, and with its reveal, BMW is launching a new design language and an array of intelligent driver information technologies that will find their way in future production models.
The two-seat roadster model was penned under the supervision of BMW's new head of design, Adrian von Hooydonk. Aside from the pointier front end with the shark-nose grille, you should also pay attention to the cleaner overall design, the blending of taut and multi-layered surfacing treatments and the shape of tail lights.

The interior is far more futuristic but the minimalistic design philosophy may be applied in a more production kind of way in the next generations of the BMW models.
As mentioned previously, the Vision ConnectedDrive also showcases numerous technologies including a fully programmable instrument cluster with , three-dimensional displays plus a separate HUD (Head-Up Display) unit, and various driver assistance systems.
BMW did not mention anything in the press announcement about the roadster concept's powertrain hardware, which could mean that the Vision CD is a static study with nothing under the hood.

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